Life-preserver.



c. R. MOGOTTER.

LIFE PRESERVBB. APPLICATION FILED n.9

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

CHARLES R. MCCOTTER, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. MCCOT- TER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life- Preservers, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to life preservers and its objects are to produce such a device which will have the requisite buoyancy, flexibility and durability,'and in which the means for connecting its elements together and to the body of the wearer shall not include part-s which are likely to corrode or decay.

To these ends my life preserver consists in the buoyant blocks and non-corrosive me- V tallic means for holding them in place and connecting them to each other and to the body of the wearer, as hereafter described. Its novel features will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawing.

In the drawing,-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a life preserver embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of a portion of my life preserver; Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective View of one of the blocks; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through one of the blocks.

It will beseen by reference to Fig. 4 that my life preserver includes blocks 1 of any suitable buoyant material, but which I preferably make of cork. Each of these blocks is closely surrounded by line wire netting 2 which is made of non-corrosive material such as copper, and which is made of such fine wire as to have comparatively little weight. This wire 4netting is particularly useful in connection with blocks made of cork since it holds the cork in place and prevents wear and accidental breakage due to rough handling. The wire bands 3 closely surround each block near the top and near the bottom, these bands being drawn tightly around the blocks so as to fit closely in slight depressions therein. By this means the bands are held irmly in place without weakening the block or cork. rlhe bands for each block are independent of those for each of the other blocks and each band has at the edge of the block the ring 4 constitut- Speecaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 9, 1909.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Serial No. 488,952.

ing a flexible metallic joint for joining it to an adjacent block. It will be understood that these rings engage the bands of two blocks and thus permit those blocks to be turned with reference to each other without bending or weakening in any way the metallic connection between them, and it will be further understood that these parts and rings are made of suitable non-corrosive material, such as copper.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 that the life preserver is made up of two sections joined by the short-chains 5 which are connected to the rings on the adjacent blocks. This permits the two sections to be folded together so as to occupy a small space. To the rings at one of the free ends of the life preserver I secure the cords 6 which are very flexible and which may be made of fine copper wire twisted together and which if desired may be covered with cloth. Vhen the life preserver is placed on the wearer these cords are passed through the rings on the opposite end of the life preserver and are there tied so as to hold it firmly in place. Similar cords 7 and 8 are secured to blocks near the ends of the two sections and are so positioned as to be adapted to pass over the shoulders of the wearer so as to support the life preserver in place. These cords, like cords 6, are made up of line flexible non-corrosive wire such as copper, and they may be provided with a cloth covering 9 as shown in Fig. 2.

The cloth covering might of course be omitted and it will be observed that even if this covering decays it will not affect in any way the efliciency or durability of the life preserver. All of the connecting parts of the life preserver are made of non-corrosive metal and consequently it will last indelinitely.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a life preserver, the combination with-a plurality of separate cork blocks, of wire netting closely fitting and surrounding each of said blocks separately,separate wire bands surrounding said blocks near the bottom and near the top, metal rings flexibly joining the bands of adjacent blocks, and flexible wire bands for securing the said series of blocks to the body of a person.

2. In a device of the class described, the In testimony whereof I affix my signature combnation with a bloolC1 of buoyant man presence of tWo Witnesses. termi, o non-corrosive ne Wire netting closely surrounding said block, noncorrosve CHARLES 'R' MCCOTTER" 5 Wire bands Surrounding said block near its VVtnessee:

top and near its bottom, and rings flexibly L. M. GIBSON, engaging said bands at opposite sides. C. I). SIMONDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

